CONVERSIONS

PENALTIES

Sharks snap up bonus point

Lions tamed in Durban

Two tries either side of half time saw the Sharks to a 32-20 bonus-point win over South African rivals the Lions in Saturday's clash in Durban.

Fullback Riaan Viljoen, wing Lwazi Mvovo and replacements Meyer Bosman and Jacques Botes touched down to propel the Sharks to their first victory of the new season.

Flyhalf Patrick Lambie contributed 12 points with the boot in the week three encounter of this year's Super Rugby championship at Kings Park.

Lambie and Lions No. 10 Butch James swapped penalties before Viljoen chased down his own high kick and then hacked on the loose ball to score in the 30th minute.

Lambie converted from the touchline to make it 10-3 but James pulled three back with a penalty five minutes later on a rare visit into the Sharks 22.

Then, just before half-time, hooker Bismarck du Plessis staole a Lions lineout close their line after a pinpoint kick from Lambie had forced them back the five metre mark.

The hosts spread the ball wide from the breakdown and wing Mvovo skipped down the touchline to score after the hooter had sounded.

Powerful

Lambie booted the conversion from the left touchline to take his side into the break with a 17-6 lead.

Nine minutes after the restart the Sharks stand-off struck a penalty to make it 20-6 with 20 minutes to go.

But the Lions twice fought back with Jaco Taute and Ruan Dreyer both crossing for tries to keep the Lions back in the hunt.

Their first came within a minute of Lambie's three pointer after a powerful charge from lock Franco van der Merwe's and Taute latched onto scrum-half Michael Bondesio's pass to force his way over.

Replacement back Bosman went in for the Sharks' third when he took the final pass to go over near the posts after a superb move from Pietersen and centre partner Tim Whitehead.

The Lions hit back again to close it to seven points when Dreyer touched down five minutes later after driving through from the edge of a ruck and James converted to make it 27-20 with four minutes left.

But the Sharks held their nerve and found time for one final attack which saw Botes score from a rolling maul following a lineout in the last act of the match.